ASU running back Marion Grice leads nation in TDs

Despite his scoring success, Arizona State running back Marion Grice is mysterious in some ways.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him run full speed,” junior left guard Jamil Douglas said.

Through four games, Grice’s smooth running style has produced 12 touchdowns. That’s put him in the end zone more than anyone else in the country. Actually, it’s put him in the end zone more than 28 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

Entering Saturday’s contest against Notre Dame in Arlington, Texas, Grice has blossomed into ASU’s biggest offensive threat since tight end Zach Miller competed for All-America honors in 2006. This gives the Sun Devils some added star power against one of college football’s storied programs, a team that last season played for the national title.

Grice isn’t popping up on any Heisman Trophy watch lists — his 64-yard rushing average isn’t nearly sexy enough — but like defensive teammate Will Sutton, he has turned into a must-see player, someone who can excel on the sport’s grand stage.

And he’s done it all with a style that’s difficult to describe.

“It doesn’t look like he’s trying,” ASU coach Todd Graham said. “He has a weird style. What’d he score, four touchdowns (in Saturday’s 62-41 win over USC)? He’s just phenomenal. He has this way of eluding people very smoothly to get to the end zone. He’s a unique back.”

At this point, Grice is on pace to shatter Wilford “Whizzer” White’s season record of 22 touchdowns set 63 years ago. He’s even starting to climb ASU’s career rankings, remarkable considering Grice just joined the program last season as a junior-college transfer from Texas.

The count: Grice has scored 31 touchdowns in 17 games, which puts him seventh in school history. He averages a touchdown every 7.45 touches from scrimmage. And they’re not all coming at the goal line. Sixty-one percent of Grice’s touchdowns have come from distances greater than 5 yards. Twenty-nine percent have come from distances greater than 15.

“He’s pretty incredible,” offensive coordinator Mike Norvell said. “You get the ball in his hands down there. That’s why I try to do it. He just finds a way.”

It’s not just the touchdowns. Grice has a way of turning the routine into a “How-did-he-do- that?” moment. In fact, his best effort Saturday might have come on a simple dump-off pass early in the contest.

On third and 14 from the ASU 50, junior quarterback Taylor Kelly hit Grice with a short pass near the sideline. Grice caught the ball 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage. USC closed quickly.

On Sept. 21 against Stanford, ASU running-backs coach Bo Graham thought his backs didn’t do a good job of getting back to line of scrimmage. Too many tackles for loss. On this play, Grice did his best to make sure that didn’t happen. He avoided cornerback Demetrius Wright with a quick step to the left. He broke linebacker Lamar Dawson’s attempt at an arm tackle.

He spun away from linebacker Hayes Pullard and defensive end Leonard Williams. By the time, Grice finally went down, he had fought his way — through six USC defenders — back to the line of scrimmage.

“He helps us out more than we help him,” Douglas said. “He sets up blocks better than anyone I’ve ever seen. He’ll bait someone until they’re going right into us. That’s happened a couple times when he’s broke some big plays. I really haven’t seen a guy like him.”

Posting a comment to our website allows you to join in on the conversation. Share your story and unique perspective with members of the azcentral.com community.

Comments posted via facebook:

► Join the Discussion

Join the conversation! To comment on azcentral.com, you must be logged into an active personal account on Facebook. You are responsible for your comments and abuse of this privilege will not be tolerated. We reserve the right, without warning or notification, to remove comments and block users judged to violate our Terms of Service and Rules of Engagement. Facebook comments FAQ

Join thousands of azcentral.com fans on Facebook and get the day's most popular and talked-about Valley news, sports, entertainment and more - right in your newsfeed. You'll see what others are saying about the hot topics of the day.